BROWNSTOWN — Sixty-seven years after what’s considered the first Jackson County Fair queen pageant, the county’s inaugural fair queen paid a visit to the fairgrounds Wednesday.

Sharon Coleman, 81, of Uniontown won the 1955 Jackson County Centennial Fair queen pageant.

The Jackson County Centennial Fair was held in 1955 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the fair.

A queen contest was included as part of the centennial fair because in had become a trend at other fairs at the time, according to a newspaper article in The Jackson County Banner in 1955.

This contest was the first of its kind for a Jackson County fair, making Coleman the first fair queen.

The centennial pageant had nine contestants who were nominated from each school in the county: Brownstown, Vallonia, Freetown, Medora, Seymour, Crothersville, Cortland, Tampico and Clearspring.

Coleman was nominated for the contest by her classmates at Crothersville.

She said the nomination process involved collecting pennies for donations, and the money she raised went toward installing streetlights in Crothersville.

“I can drive through Crothersville and say, ‘I helped pay for them,’” Coleman said.

What Coleman remembers most about the first pageant, she said, was being surprised that she won.

She said she considers herself a “typical person” and thought, “Who in the world would nominate me?”

As for why she thought she won, she said it was because of her personality.

“I spoke to people every day,” she said. “I never talked to other people about anybody. It’s my personality. It wasn’t my looks or anything, but I love people, and to this day, I love people.”

Coleman swung by a tent outside Exhibit Building 3 at the fair to see her portrait from the 1955 pageant. It was part of a displaying featuring the portraits of the past 64 fair queens. According to fair records, there was not a queen in 1956 and 1957. There also wasn’t one in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marshall Memories Photography and Seymour bridal shop B.loved came together to create the gallery of portraits. The exhibit also includes a stage and booth for photo opportunities for future queens.

The two businesses also sold tiaras and “Future Fair Queen” sashes. They gave Coleman the same sash but “Future” was crossed out with a marker and replaced with “First.”

Wednesday’s visit was Coleman’s first at the fair in years.

She said she loves the fair for the people and wants to return every year.

“It is beautiful today,” she said. “Everybody is here, and everybody is having a good time. I’ve never seen an argument.”

Over 65 years since competing in the very first queen contest in the county, Coleman said she is in shock to be able to visit the fair in 2022.

“Everybody is so friendly and smiling,” she said. “I have not heard one person cuss. I have not heard one person argue. Just look at everyone’s smiles. Everybody is having a good, pleasant time.”